Stamp and the like



l Qoage Cadiz@ July 22, 1941.

i STAMP AND THE LIKE Filed March 8, 1940 CANCELLED CANCELLED F. w. HUMPHNER 2,250,197

Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATE 2,250,197 STAMP AND THE LIKE Ferdinand W.

to Mid-States Gummed Paper Humphner, Oak Park, Ill., assigner Co., Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation of Delaware Application March 8, 1940, Serial No. 323,047

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a stamp and the like. It is particularly useful in,` connection with tax stamps.

An object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple structure Which may be completed with a minimum of cost, but which will be effective in preventing the soaking oi f tax stamps and the reuse thereof. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in

which- Figure 1 is a sectional View, greatly enlarged, showing the layers employed in building up the stamp; and Figure 2, a plan view of the paper base with the imprinting thereon indicating cancellation or voiding,

As illustrated, the stamp is formed of a paper base, provided on its underside with the usual gumming by which the base may be applied to an object. Upon the paper base, which preferably consists of a hard-sized paper, I imprint with Water-insoluble ink the Word cancelled or some Word of equivalent meaning. Over the imprinting just described and the top side of the paper base, I form a layer of transparent or translucent lacquer through which the printing is visible. Over the lacquer, I place a layer of water-soluble adhesive, such as, for example, Water-soluble dextrine, starch adhesive, or any other suitable water-soluble adhesive. Over the adhesive after the stamp is dry, I form an opaque coating of coloring material which serves as a background for the final print on the top of the stamp. The opaque coating permits water to pass therethrough under water-soaking conditions so as to release the opaque coating and the nal print. The water-impervious film of lacquer over the paper and printing slows up the passage of water in the soaking operation toward the gum on the bottom of the stamp. This prevents the gum holding the stamp to the container from being dissolved before the opaque coating and final print are destroyed. In other Words, the lacquer film insures the breaking up of the opaque coating and the nal print before the dissolving of the gum which secures the stamp to the container.

In the forming of the stamp, it is preferable to use a relatively wide and large strip of paper, to imprint the same with spaced arrangements of the word Cancelled or some word of similar meaning, to form the gum layers over the entire two surfaces of the paper, and then to form the opaque coating over the top gum layer, the final prints being formed in spaced arrangement on the top of the opaque coating. Perforations are then formed throughout the large sheet to provide a sheet made up of a large number of separable stamps.

In operation, the stamp is applied to an object by means of a gum layer on the bottom thereof, either a gum layer which is originally affixed to the paper or by a new gum layer applied at the time of attaching the stamp. If anyone attempts to remove the stamp for reuse by soaking the same with water, the water enters the adhesive over the paper and releases the opaque coating on the top thereof. The removal of the concealing coating on the top of the stamp exposes the Words of cancellation on the top of the paper. Thus, reuse is prevented. As already stated, the water can dissolve the adhesive by entering the stamp from the sides of the stamp, Preferably, the opaque coating is sufficiently thin to permit some water to pass vtherethrough in the soaking operation, although the coating is sufficient to repel moisture in slight amounts, such as may be met with in humid, foggy, and misty atmospheres. When water is applied, however, in suilicient amounts to soak off the labeling, some Water passes directly through the opaque coating and aids in the speedy release of the opaque coating. With the structure shown, it is found that the opaque coating is released more quickly than the stamp can be released from the surface to which it is attached. The relatively large layer of watersoluble adhesive over the printing on the paper cooperates with the flowing of water through the opaque layer under soaking conditions to bring about a speedy release of the opaque coating and the nal print carried thereon.

The stamp structure is readily made and extremely effective in operation. Since the imprint is made in water-insoluble ink, the Word Cancelled or some word of like meaning stands out prominently when the soaking operation is complete.

While in the foregoing description, I have set forth certain steps and certain materials as desirable, it will be understood that considerable variation can be made in these by those skilled in the art without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. A stamp and the like comprising a paper base, printing thereon in Water-insoluble ink indicating cancellation, a substantially waterimpervious film over said base and printing and through which said printing is visible, a layer of water-soluble adhesive over said lm, an opaque coating over said adhesive and concealing said imprint, and a final print on the top of said opaque coating.

2. A stamp and the like comprising a paper base, printing thereon, in ink indicating voiding, a protective film which is substantially waterimpervious extending over said paper and printing but through which said printing is Visible, water-soluble adhesive over said printing, a coating of said adhesive concealing said printing, and a final print on said coating.

3. A stamp comprising a hard-sized paper base, a water-soluble adhesive on the bottom portion of said base, printing on the top portion of said base indicating cancellation, a substantially Water-impervious lm over said paper and printing and through which said printing is Visible, water-soluble adhesive over said printing, a concealing layer over said last-mentioned adhesive and through which said printing is not visible, and a final print on the top of said concealing layer.

FERDINAND W. HUMIPHNER. 

